1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention may be generally related to, but not limited to, cable composition and more specifically to cable compositions configured so as to ease field modification. However, aspects of the invention may be used in many situations and circumstances beyond this exemplary field.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Cables, such as instrumentation or power cables, may be used in an assortment of industries and have a variety of shapes and configurations. For example, the cable may comprise an outer protection layer (i.e., jacket), an inner core, and an intermediate filler material (i.e., filler). This type of configuration may provide protection to the core of the cable with respect to the surrounding environment or the handling of the jacket. In some cases, the jacket may be harder and more robust than the core. The filler material may fill the gap between the core and the jacket and may provide stability during vibration and shock applied to the cable. Due to their ability to transmit power and information, some cables may be exposed to a wide variety of environmental conditions and applications. For example, cables may be run downhole to provide communication or power to a downhole well tool or sensor.
Downhole, a cable may be exposed to a harsh environment of high pressure, high temperature, and high loading conditions. In addition, there may be situations in which it is necessary to connect the cable to a tool or sensor, or splice a cable in order to feed one end or another through a passageway, such as passageways that may be located in a packer for example. Once cut, the inner core may be vulnerable to exposure along the joints and splices, after the cable is run downhole. In order to minimize this potential vulnerability, accurate and simple preparation of the cable ends is required. End preparations may require the filler to be removed from the end of the cable in order to either expose the inner core or expose the area between the inner core and the jacket. However, such operations may need to be performed in the field at a great cost and with the potential to damage the inner core or other parts of the cable.